Boiler-feeder.



(No Model.)

WITNESSES H. K. CLOVER. BOILER FEEDER.

(Application filed Sept. 25, 1900.)

Patented July 23, I90l.

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A TTORNE Y INVENTOR.

HOWARD K. CLOVER, OF OMAHA, NEBRASKA.

BOILER-FEEDER.

SPECIFICATION formingpart of Letters Patent No. 679,252, dated July 23,1901. Application filed September 25, 1900. Serial No. 31,081. (Nomodel.)

To all whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, HOWARD K. CLOVER, a citizen of the United States,residing at Omaha, in the county of Douglas and State of N ebraska,haveinvented certain new and usef ul Improvements in Boiler-Feeders; and Ido hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exactdescription of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in theart to which it appertains to make and use the same.

This invention relates to improvements in steam-boiler feeders.

One object of the present invention is to provide a feeder of thecharacter described whereby a steam-boiler may be continuously fed withthe requisite amount of water for making steam; audit is also an objectof the present invention to provide a boiler-feeder which is entirelyautomatic in operation, so that the necessity of according the sameattention is entirely obviated.

A further object of the invention is the provision, in a boiler-feeder,of simple and efficient means whereby when the water has reached thelow-Water line the feeder will com mence to operate, and when the waterhas risen to a predetermined height the flow thereof will beautomatically cut off and returned to the source of supply.

With these general objects in view, and others which will appear as thenature of the improvements is better understood, the invention consists,substantially, in the novel construction, combination, and arrangementof parts,as will be hereinafter fully described, illustrated in theaccompanying drawings, and pointed out in the appended claims.

In the drawings, Figure 1 is a side elevation, partly in section, of asteam-boiler provided with a feeder constructed in accordance with thepresent invention. Fig. 2 is a longitudinal sectional view of the valvemechanisrn on an enlarged scale.

Referring to the drawings, the numeral 1 designates a steam-boiler,which may be of any approved construction, and 2 a tank which isutilized as the source of water-supply.

The numeral 3 designates a pipe leading from the water-tank 2, andarranged in said pipe is a pump 4, which may be operated through anysuitable mechanism. Arranged at each side of the pump 4 are check-valves5 and 6, said valves controlling the inflow and outflow of water to andfrom the pump 4. Connected to the water-pipe 3 by means of a T-coupling7 is a feed-pipe 8, said pipe being provided with a check-valve 9, andsaid pipe 8 enters the boiler 1 at a point below the wa-" ter-line inorder to deliver the water from the pipe 3 to said boiler.

Connected to the upper end of the T-coupling 7 is the valve mechanism ofthe hereindescribed feeder, said mechanism being con nected to saidcoupling by means of a branch pipe 10, and said mechanism comprises acasing 11, having at one of its ends a chamber 12 and provided with avertically-disposed port 13, which communicates with the branch pipe 10.The port 13 communicates with the chamber 12 by a horizontally-disposedport 14, the end of which adjacent to the chamber 12 is flared to form avalve-seat 15. Coacting with the valve-seat 15 is a valve-stem 16, whichstem is provided with a conical valve end adapted to fit upon the seat15, said stem be ing screw-threaded, as at 17, for the reception of ascrew-threaded sleeve 18, in which the contiguous end of the casing 11,in which the chamber 12 is formed,is slidably fitted. A cap 19 isthreaded upon the sleeve 18, in which cap suitable packing may be placedin order to provide a tight joint between the valvestem 17 and thesleeve 18.

Fitted in the end of the casing 11 which is opposite to the chamber 12and in axial alinement with said chamber is a steam expansion-pipe 20,which leads from the boiler 1, and the lower end of said pipe terminatesin said boiler at the low-water line of the latter. The upper end of thepipe 20, however, terminates adjacent to the vertically-disposed port 13and by reason of this said port is in the direct path of the steam inthe pipe 20, as will be hereinafter more fully pointed out.Communicating with the valve-chamber 12 at the top of the casing 11 is aby-pass 21, said bypass also communicating with the water-tank 2, sothat the water may be returned to the tank 2 when it is not desired tofeed the same to the boiler.

Having fully stated the construction of the heroin described apparatus,the operation thereof is as follows: When the water in the boiler 1falls below the low-water line, and

' ling 7, and into the pipe 8.

thereby opens the lower end of the pipe 20, steam will at once rush intosaid pipe and filling the same will expand said pipe and also expand thecasing 11 at and adjacent to the port 14. Through such expansion thevalve-casing is caused to slide outward in the sleeve 18, and the port14 becomes closed by coaction with the valve-stem 16, and thuscommunication from the port 13 to the valvechamber 12 is shut off. Thepump 4 being at work, it is obvious that water will be forced from thetank 2 through the pipe 3, the coup- As the port 14 is closed the watercannot flow into the chamber 12, and therefore must be delivered to theboiler 1 under the full head of pressure of the pump 4. \Vhen, however,the water rises above the low-water level in the boiler l, the flow ofsteam into the pipe 20 -will be immediately cut off and the steamtherein condensed, and as such condensation cools the pipe 20, togetherwith the casing 11, said pipe and easing contract, and the latter movesinwardly or away from the valve, and thereby opens the port 14, so thatcommunication between the port 13 and the chamber 12 is atforded. Thewater forced into the pipe 8 will therefore flow through the port 14into the chamber 12 and out through the by-pass 21 back to thewater-tank 2, and the greater the degree of contraction of the pipe 20and casing 11 the greater the outflow of the water and the greater thedecrease in the feed of the water to the boiler. The rising of the waterin the pipe 20 also conduces to contraction thereof. Should the boilerbe feeding too rapidly, the amount of feed can be reduced to therequired extent by simply unscrewing the valve-stem 16, therebyaifording a larger opening between the port 14 and the chamber 12, and,on the other hand, should the boiler be feeding too slowly underordinary circumstances the amount of water fed thereto can be increasedby simply sore wing the valve-stem 16, so that the conical end thereofwill advance toward the seat 15, so as to decrease the opening at thispoint.

In practice I may rigidly mount the sleeve 18 in any preferred manner tohold it and the valve-stem 16 against longitudinal displacement. Adesirable construction to this end is to provide said sleeve with .anarm 22 for connection with a bracket 23, extending from theengine-cylinder 24, which is suitably attached to the boiler. The pump4is operated through the medium of any suitable construction ofmechanism connecting it with the piston-rod 25 of said cylinder. Theupper end of the branch pipe 10 is adapted to yield to allow thevalve-casing 11 to move, as is also the by-pass 21, which is preferablyprovided with a flexible portion in the form of a hosepipe to allow thesaid valve-casing to slide freely outward on the sleeve 18 and towardthe valve when the pipe 20 expands. Any

other suitable manner of mounting the parts to secure the same resultmay, however, be employed.

While the valve-stem 16 is shown as applied in a manner which is deemedpreferable, the same may be used on the expanding pipe or tube, and itis also obvious that the invention is susceptible of various changes inthe form, proportion, and minor details of construction, and the rightis therefore reserved to modify or vary theinvention as falls within thespirit and scope thereof and as experience and use may require.

Having thus described the invention, what is claimed as new, and desiredto be secured by Letters'P-atent, is-

1. In a boiler-feeder, the combination with a boiler, and awater-supply, of a supply-pipe leading from said water-supply, a pumparranged in said pipe, a feed-pipe discharging into the boiler andconnected to said supplypipe, a steam expansion-pipe leading from theboiler, a valve-casing connected to the steampipe and in communicationwith said supply and feed pipes, a sleeve to which the valvecasing ismovably connected, a by-pass leading from the valve-casing to thewater-supply, and a valve carried by said sleeve and controlling theflow of water to said by-pass, said valve being seated and unseated bythe movement of the valve-casing due to expansion and contraction,substantially as described.

2. In a boiler-feeder, a source of water-supply, a steam-pipe, avalve-casing connected to said water-supply and steam-pipe, a bypassleading from the valve-casing, and a valve toward and from which thevalve-casing is adapted to move, said valve being adj ustably mounted,substantially as described.

3. In a boiler-feeder, a valve,a valve-casing having a port and movabletoward and from the valve to open and close the port, watersupplyingmeans, a steam-pipe connected to the valve-casing, and a by-pass leadingfrom said valve-casing, substantially as described.

4. In a boiler-feeder, a source of water-supply, a steam-pipe,water-supplying means, a valve-casin g connected at one end to said pipeand having at its opposite end a chamber, and also having portscommunicating with each other and with said water-supplying means andchamber, a by-pass leading from said chamber, a sleeve in which thechambered end of the valve is slidably fitted, and a valve adj ustablymounted in said sleeve and projecting into the valve-chamber,substantially as described.

In testimony whereof I affix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

HOWARD K. CLOVER.

Witnesses:

RUDOLPH RIX, F. E. GOULTER.

